Conventional kayaks comprise a hollow shell in which the kayaker's lower body and legs are received through an opening in the shell. These kayaks require a certain amount of skill to operate as the kayaker must learn to "self-rescue", or roll the kayak into an upright position if the kayak is tipped over.
An alternative type of kayak has been developed and has gained increasing acceptance. This new type of kayak is referred to in the industry and herein as a sit-on-top kayak. As this name suggests, the user of a sit-on-top kayak sits in an open cockpit on top of the kayak hull. The sit-on-top kayak is somewhat similar to a surfboard in overall shape, but normally has a generally V-shaped hull portion and a deeper draft to allow better tracking. Modern sit-on-top kayaks are conventionally formed out of polyethylene using a rotational molding process to obtain a sealed, hollow shell. The process of manufacturing rotationally-molded polyethylene sit-on-top kayaks is generally discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,525 issued to the present Applicant.
The kayak discussed in the aforementioned '525 patent is a single seat kayak designed for use by one person. A seating surface, footwell, and hatch surface are formed in the cockpit of the kayak shown in the '525 patent. The Applicant is also aware of a number of two-person kayaks in which two seating surfaces and footwells are provide. A comfortable, stable three-person kayak has been difficult to manufacture, however, because the overall length of the boat becomes impractical.
The need thus exists for a sit-on-top kayak design that provides three seating surfaces and footwells associated therewith, but does not result in a boat that is inconveniently long.